It’ll never happen to me.
In three years of living in Tucson I have heard the stories. From petty thefts to violent assaults, the warnings were everywhere. But it always happened to somebody else. It never hit home. Last weekend, while walking home from Dub Crawl downtown, those stories became reality.
We were a few blocks west of Euclid Avenue, making our way down University Boulevard. The streets were empty and sidewalks quiet. It was late, even for a couple of college students on a Friday night. Ahead, I could barely make out two dark silhouettes moving our direction. I thought nothing of them. We were so close to campus.
As the two men came closer they made no effort to share the sidewalk. Instead, they walked right up to us, blocking our way. “”Give me your wallet.””
I glanced down at his waist and saw the small gun staring up at me.
It all happened so fast I didn’t have time to think. Instinct and fear took over. I quickly turned over my wallet, begging them both to calm down. “”Give me your purse.””
One of them moved toward my girlfriend, and I got in his way. He started swinging, and I hit the ground. I sat up and watched the two sprint off around the corner with my wallet and her purse. Thankfully, that’s all we lost. He never used the gun. It could have been a lot worse.
“”Some folks seem to think because they’re in the middle of campus they are completely safe, however there’s a lot of different types of threats that can present themselves,”” UAPD Officer Andrew Valenzuela said.
“”A variety of things can happen, and by staying alert and aware of your surroundings, and always traveling in groups, whether it be day or night, you can greatly reduce the chances of harm coming to you,”” he added.
“”In the event that you are confronted, it’s always our recommendation to just give up your property because no piece of property you have’s worth your life or your friend’s life.””
No matter what time of night you’re out, be careful and follow these safety precautions to make sure you don’t get mugged or worse.
-Stay in groups when walking around Tucson
-Be aware of your surroundings
-Walk in well lit areas
-Don’t flaunt valuables
-If incident occurs, don’t fight back, especially if assailant is armed
-Dial 911 immediately
